Fall of the Ministry of Magic
The Fall of the Ministry of Magic was the takeover of the Ministry of Magic by Lord Voldemort, on August 1st of 1997. The take-over resulted in the death of Rufus Scrimgeour and the appoinment of Pius Thicknesse as the new Minister for Magic. The coup also meant that the Death Eaters had the whold of Ministry on their side, and thus did not have to worry about being caught for using brutal curses and spells. There was a rumour that Rufus Scrimgeour was tortured for Harry's whereabouts before being killed. The Death Eaters became much more brutal and plain in their actions after this. Background Over a year since the declaration of open warfare, the situation in the wizarding world was not very good. There were continued deaths all over the country, and Voldemort and his Death Eaters were getting stronger by the day. Many of the top members of the Ministry of Magic were already under the Death Eater's control by the means of the Imperius Curse, including the head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement Pius Thicknesse. Harry Potter and his two friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were in the Burrow, preparing for Fleur Delacour and Bill Weasley's wedding. Harry was disguised as Barny Weasley by the use of Polyjuice Potion to avoid trouble. Battle The coup itself was described as "swift and quiet," as only a few were actually aware of the take-over. However,the Order was informed of the switch by the Patronus of Kingsley Shacklebolt, which arrived in the middle of Fleur and Bill's wedding reception. Whether Kingsley was actually there during the battle or somewhere else in unknown. The crowd at the wedding went silent as Kingsley's deep voice informed them of the switch. Arrival of the Death Eaters Panic and fear spread through the crowd as they began to realize what had just happened. Everywhere, people were calling for one another and trying to Apparate away before the Death Eaters arrived. Soon after Kingsley's notice, Death Eaters began to crash into the wedding, and Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks were heard shouting "Protego!", along with many other members of the Order. Escape Hermione Apparated into Tottenham Court Road, taking Harry and Ron with her. They thought they were safe there, for it was extremely unlikely that the Death Eaters would find them in the middle of the Muggle world. However, their relief was short-lived; after unknowingly breaking the Taboo on Voldemort's name, the trio was attacked by two Death Eaters, Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle in a muggle cafe. A short but dangerous skirmish followed, resulting in the smashing of the cafe and the stunning of the waitress. However, the trio was eventually able to overpower the two Death Eaters, and Hermione wiped away their memories by using the Memory Charm. Afterwards, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went into hiding within Number 12, Grimmauld Place Aftermath and Consequences While Harry and his friends were trying to escape Dolohov and Rowle, the Order members and the Weasleys were struggling their best to keep the Death Eaters from taking over. However, they were eventually overpowered. The Death Eaters combed the Burrow from top to bottom. The Weasley family were captured and kept under constant watch. However, Arthur Weasley was able to produce a Patronus, which informed the trio that the family was safe and not to attempt contact, as they were being watched.